Tempest in a Teapot
by Elmion
Summary: She never tried organizing her books, let alone her feelings. But she had to. Set after Zaude.
1. Epiphany

**Disclaimer: **Tales of Vesperia is not mine. If it were you'd get to choose who to bang at the end and you'd be able to take the gay option just because.

Anyway, this is might not be canon, and I could not be arsed to check whether it is or not. I claim my right to use my artistic license and assume that right after Yuri falls, the Adephagos appears and they have to immediately figure out what to do about it. If that's what happened, great! If not, well, consider it an AU, we have plenty of good AU stories in this fandom, right?

Also, Rita might be OOC here, so please give me some feedback. I do not find writing in the voice of a fifteen-year-old genius girl to be easy, so I'll need all the help I can get.

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><p>A thunderous crash, a great rising cloud of dust. The tower shook, and Yuri Lowell fell, and she could see him, falling for an eternity, then hitting the water, his body breaking apart, his limbs torn to the four winds, his guts sinking into the ocean, his head eaten by the fish-<p>

And Rita Mordio woke up.

Her head heavy beyond belief, she sank down again, trying to recall what day, what time it is, what she had done and what she had been doing.

Ah, right. She was thinking of ways to get rid of that obnoxious blot in the sky. And failing.

Right. Why was she failing again? Oh, yes, because Yuri is quite probably dead.

All her plans in one way or another required him, and that, of course, rendered them impossible. She kept brainstorming for courses of action that would not rely on the leadership and the strength of Mr. Lowell, but that just made her think of him all the time. Realizing that she was in the middle of a total mental block, the young mage had admitted defeat and retreated to the sanctum that is her bed, whereupon she got her long overdue sleep.

And perhaps, because of that lack of sleep, and perhaps because of that nightmare she had already half-forgotten, she woke up feeling twice as horrible as before.

She buried her face in the bed, trying to sort out the messy cauldron of feelings inside her. This is an important matter, because one little thought involving Yuri leads to another and that one to yet another one and on and on it goes until she can't even think about the Adephagos a.k.a. The End of The World as We Know It because Yuri keeps popping up in her head and asking her about unimportant stuff and teaching her about unimportant things such as cooking and then he'll laugh at her-

Rita snatched the pillow and pressed it against her head, hard. He's dead, no use thinking about him, she tells herself again and again. The others have faith, of course, because he might have fallen into the water. But that's not how it works; falling into the sea from this height would be no different from hitting hard granite since the surface tension will just destroy him.

But she couldn't say that, not in front of Estelle, who kept believing that Yuri's fine. Rita couldn't blame her. His confidence, his strength, his courage; all his qualities make it very easy to think that he's invincible, and even Rita herself couldn't help but hold on to one sliver of hope-

It's not working, she thought in desperation. It's like telling people to not think about elephants. She threw away the pillow and moved her head to the side.

Why is this happening?

She decides to confront herself. Psychological problems are not solved by willing them out of existence.

Why do I feel so horrible about this?

Because he is an important piece to my plans. Without him, nothing works. But that is only partly true. While it is true that, somehow, he is the glue that keeps them together, they will be able to manage without him. They have Judith, Raven, and most importantly, Estelle. They can pull us through. And about his skills in combat, well, they'll just have to find a replacement. Although she doubt that they'll find anyone as good as anyway, the thought of him being replaced sickens her.

Why is that?

Perhaps because he is her friend. One of her first friends, in fact. Her second, to be exact. Back then, Estelle had welcomed her immediately while Yuri and Karol were less enthusiastic. But Yuri gave her his trust soon enough and Karol accepted her not long after.

Friends help you, accept you for who you are and walk beside you through difficult times. They are irreplaceable. It would be horrible if a friend of yours died, right?

She wouldn't know, she never had one before Estelle.

But she had a feeling that this isn't something as simple as mourning the loss of a companion. There is something more complicated here, something far deeper than just missing someone.

It's the thought that, as she gets older, he wouldn't be there to see it, and as she accomplishes things, he wouldn't congratulate her for it, and as she blows things up, he wouldn't tease her for it.

What is so horrible, she realized, is that she won't get to spend her life with him in it.

And thus that tempest within her abates and sorts itself out into a gentle breeze, leaving her with a calm that is tempered by horror.

_I love him,_ she realizes as her pent-up tears silently spill onto the bedsheets.

Quite some time later, Yuri Lowell will be desperately trying to comfort a crying Rita with a hug, and he will be slightly happy while being absolutely bewildered because Rita will be returning the hug very tightly.


	2. Shame

That was absolutely embarrassing,

She thought, after she had calmed down. Crying like a fifteen-year-old girl. Oh wait. She is a fifteen-year-old girl. Gah. Her image must be in ruins now.

In front, Yuri was chatting with Estelle and Judith, as always. Look at them, acting as if nothing strange had happened. Probably they're thinking about how, for all her talk about science and blastia and intelligence and _being mature_, she still acted so...so... girly. God, they will remember that one time when she lost control in front of everyone, won't they? Well, not everyone, just Yuri, Judith and Estelle, but theirs are the only opinions that count.

Still, Karol and Raven must not hear about this. They'll never let her hear the end of it. But how can she stop them from finding out? She can't force these three people into silence. Judith is far too scary to threaten and Estelle was her friend. But they're women too, so maybe she can count on their sympathy to leave it hushed up. That leaves Yuri.

Oh, bugger. Yuri. Right, she was in love with him. She had hoped, she had damn near _prayed_, that it wasn't really love love, but nope. It's still there, that feeling of not wanting him to be gone ever again, wanting to always be close to him. To keep him for herself and take care of him and blast him with a fireball every time he flirts with another woman-

This is a disaster. Everyone knows he and Estelle are together. What's going to happen to their relationship now? Estelle doesn't seem upset or anything, but really? If the princess knows that she likes him likes him, will that make them-shudder-_love rivals_? (I must stop reading those romance books for teenage girls, she mentally notes.) Wouldn't that compromise their teamwork?

And Yuri himself. Fortunately, he seems clueless - for now. God, she can just imagine how he would react. Well, it wouldn't be too bad; probably something along the lines of 'Sorry, but you're not my type,' and then he'd chuckle while patting her head. Patting her head...

Estelle touched her forehead and she almost jumped.

"Your face is really warm, Rita. Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," she said. She couldn't push her hand away because it felt so nice. "Really. You should worry about Yuri more."

Estelle kept looking at her with those beautiful eyes. She was obviously concerned and unconvinced, but she apparently decided to trust Rita.

Yes, the young mage thought, watching the princess's back. There is also the problem of my slight crush on you.

She briefly thought about how ridiculous it would be to be a bisexual that was infatuated with two people who were already in love with each other.

Yep, that's pretty damn absurd, if she may say so herself.

There is only one solution to this situation, and that is for her to withdraw. Not that she was in any competition to begin with. Just...bottle this up and never speak of it. Ever. There would be no point in it. As long as she hides it well and nobody realizes, there will be no problem. She'll buy some time and then this love thing will disappear. Hopefully. She can't risk a love triangle when the world is in danger.

That's it, then, problem solved. She let out a breath of relief.

Now, of course, Rita was a genius. But she was an expert in blastia, not people, much less romance.

The possibility that Estelle, Yuri and Judith already knew never crossed her mind.


	3. Confusion

**Disclaimer:** Tales of Vesperia is not mine.

At this point, it's more like drabbles and less like an actual, coherent fic, but I'm lazy. :V (Am I making sense? No, I am not. Better stop.)

Thank you for the reviews, they make me super happy.

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><p>"Is that really alright?" Judith asked her in that trademark nonchalance of hers.<p>

Rita looked at the Krityan sitting next to her.

"It's not really obvious at all; you have a good poker face, you know? I just have equally good intuition," Judith said, answering the question Rita didn't ask.

"Hm," Rita replied, not surprised. It was just as expected from Judith. She probably had caught her looking at Yuri and Estelle down there.

"It's not my place," she answered.

She would have said 'I don't know what you're talking about,' but for some reason she didn't. Apparently she wanted to talk about it. After all, she had been hiding it - perfectly, she might add; she had no idea how Judith actually found out - for quite a long time.

"What makes you say that? For all we know you two could be the perfect match for each other."

Judith has this way of speaking that can sound innocent and yet infuriatingly teasing. Rita has no idea how she does it, and begins designing a voicegraphing blastia to invent.

"Estelle's my friend. Yuri is too, to a certain extent," Rita said. "I don't want to get in their way."

"I see."

"And anyway, my...thing for Yuri probably won't last. At least, I hope it doesn't," she continues. "This damn puberty's messing around with my hormones."

Judith chuckled. "You're making it sound like you're experiencing something horrible."

"But I am," Rita lamented, looking at the sky. "It's the worst, most useless distraction ever."

"Don't you people have this saying that 'love makes you stronger?'"

Rita almost winced upon hearing the word. "No, it just makes me miss."

"Ah, so that's the reason behind all the Tidal Waves recently," Judith quipped.

"More or less," Rita decided to play along.

The Krityan smiled. "Well, I don't know much about it myself, so I suppose I shouldn't be lecturing you."

"Really?"

"I've never had many friends, remember? For a long time it was just Ba'ul and me. Then it's you guys."

"But you flirt with Yuri all the time."

Judith laughed. "So you noticed?"

Rita didn't miss that glint in her eyes. "I have eyes and a brain," she snarked.

"Hmm, well, I suppose I do, but that was just us being playful," she said. "At least, I think it is. I have no idea how Yuri actually feels, come to think of it."

"Must be nice being so carefree," Rita commented.

"It does have its perks," Judith agreed. "But there are times when I envy you."

"Ha. What, you want to be small and flat-chested so people can mistake you for a boy?"

"My, that sounds interesting, but not really. Actually, I was talking about feelings," Judith said cheerily. "You always feel so intensely."

Rita tilted her had. "What do you mean?"

"You should know. We Krityans are a calm bunch," Judith said. "Most of the time we just talk. We don't kick and scream and bicker like you do."

"Thanks for the compliment," Rita deadpanned.

"Why, you're welcome," Judith smiled. "But really. I think if Krityans had such things, my hometown would a lot more fun."

Rita remembered the Krityans' city. It was indeed rather dreary, but still-

"It's nowhere as fun as you think," Rita said glumly. "Sometimes you feel a lot of emotions at the same time and then you end up not knowing what it is you're feeling at all, and that feeling of not knowing what you're feeling, it doesn't feel nice at all."

She sighed. In the distance were Yuri and Estelle, the two most important people in her world, in a world of their own.

It doesn't feel nice at all.

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><p>"Perhaps. But you know, Rita."<p>

"What?"

"I was actually talking about you and Estelle,"Judith smirked.

Screw you, boobie lady.


	4. Lust

**Disclaimer:** Tales of Vesperia. Not mine. ;_;

Also, I have no idea how to write Yuri because he's too awesome. ;_;

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><p>It could have just gone away peacefully, leaving her to her own problems, which were plenty enough at it is; but noooo, it had to come back with the force of Duke's Big Bang. He had to come back here.<p>

"Yo, Rita."

Why did you have to come back here, Yuri?

"I'm taking a vacation," Yuri said when he entered the door.

There are people who need you elsewhere.

"So can I crash at your place tonight?" he said when he climbed the stairs.

Why here?

"Ritaaa. Ritaa, are you there-ah, you're there."

"Such wonderful manners you have, Yuri," Rita welcomed him from her work desk.

"Long time no see," he said cheerfully, dumping his satchel on the floor.

"Not long enough," Rita replied, returning to her designs. "You can sleep on the bed, I won't be using it tonight."

Yuri blinked. "You _are _busy, aren't you."

"When am I not?"

The swordsman shrugged. "I won't disturb you," he promised, full of confidence.

Your being here is already disturbing. In fact, your very existence in this world is disturbing.

"And, as an added bonus, I'll help you clean this place. Ugh."

She briefly wondered if it was the chicken leg or the soup. To her surprise, he didn't complain any further. He's keeping his word about not disturbing her, she realized.

"Don't bother," she said.

"But I can't stand looking at it," he said.

"Then you should find someplace else to stay." Please don't actually do that. Stay here.

I hate myself.

"But then I'll have to pay."

"How much of a cheapskate are you?"

"This much," he lifted a stack of books half his height.

"Do you know how to sort that? Never mind; can you read?"

"Oh, now you're just being rude."

"But can you?"

"Warriors don't need to read the runic alphabet," was Yuri's proud declaration.

Why do I love this guy again? "Just put them on that empty shelf," Rita sighed.

"Sure. Oomph."

As Yuri went about his self-assigned duties, Rita was thinking. Not about her inventions, but about...these odd circumstances.

Why would Yuri come here? If he wanted a place to stay, he could just as easily go to his room at the lower quarter. Or the inn. Or some other room in the castle - surely there were plenty more to spare. And what was this business about vacationing? She didn't know Brave Vesperia allowed vacations.

"Do the others know you're here?" Rita asked.

"Nope," Yuri answered.

"Figured as much. You're hiding from Estelle, aren't you."

"Not just her."

Ah. "Let me guess. You planned on surprising them, but found them together having some quality time, and then decided instead of bothering them, you'd pester me instead."

"I remain in awe of your genius," Yuri bowed, picking up some more books from the floor.

He's spending way too much time with Raven, she thought. "So you're giving up on her?" Rita asked.

Yuri stopped for a fraction of a second. That must had stung a bit. "She's happy enough as it is. Flynn's a better match for her."

Rita saw Yuri's sad smile and decided not to pursue the subject. She knew how that felt. She had been there herself, two years ago, and did the exact same thing.

"But Estelle still misses you, you know. You and the rest of the gang. You don't visit often enough," she said, wondering how much of what she said was hers.

"That's a good sign. It means we're busy," Yuri said.

"You should let her know you're here." But if you don't want to, it's okay.

"Maybe later."

Despite herself, she could feel her heart racing. She immediately felt disgusted with herself. You are not supposed to be happy at this. Yuri isn't. Estelle certainly wouldn't be if she finds out. Stop thinking of him as something up for grabs. It's not proper.

But it's been so long. Two years. After all this time, she still loves him. Maybe it isn't just a simple crush after all? That's impossible; there's no reason why she should keep on liking him. Sure he might be slightly good looking and kinda strong, but that's all. But otherwise he's a simpleton, a hippie, a plebeian, a barbarian. Well, OK, he's he deserves some credit for actually saving the world, but that solution was hers. All he did was swing that huge sword. Alright, he looked really cool back then, and not to mention he was the one who convinced her that-

_POMF!_

Yuri divebombed her bed, violently derailing her train of thought. While she was brooding, he actually went and cleaned up her room. The books were on the shelves. The papers were stacked together in one corner. The unfinished and rotten food were gone.

That was impressive. Perhaps she doesn't give him enough credit-

"Aah, the smell of Rita's bed-ow!"

"You have been spending waaaay too much time with the old man," she said, feeling her cheeks heat up and hoping Yuri doesn't notice.

"Heh. Maybe you're right," Yuri yawned. "Good night."

And boom, he was asleep. How does he do that?

Rita huffed. Back to work, then.

_Tick._

_Tock._

_Tick._

_Tock._

As if she could work with Yuri sleeping right beside her. She turned to look at him.

Her heart was beating so hard it hurts. But pain doesn't really describe this incredible tightness in her chest and her sudden inability to breathe properly.

'I'm going to explode. I have to go away.'

Was what she thought, but she couldn't. To her horror she realized she was already leaning in for a - for a _kiss._

No. Stop. Not like this. This isn't her style. Isn't this sexual harassment? But it's so very tempting. What is this desire to consume him right here, right now? Is this what they call lust? Probably. Because right now she has an incredible urge to touch him _all over the place_-Gah.

She buried her head in the bed, just inches from Yuri's face. What is wrong with her? He's turning her into a _mess _and he isn't even trying. Is she really this weak? Well, maybe not, it's just that she hadn't experienced anything remotely close to (shudder)_ sexual desire _before, so she's not prepared against it. Yeah. she's seventeen, now, right? She's human as well; it's normal to experience such..._urges_. There's no need to be so ashamed about it. Yeah, that's it. Just get away from here and-and meditate. Cool off.

Then she felt Yuri's hand caressing her head.

(So he's awake. Of course he is, did you think he was a heavy sleeper? You idiot. Now git.)

Rita decided that Yuri's scent should be classified as a neurotoxin, seeing as these past few minutes her body kept disobeying her brain because of it. Instead of jerking away and claiming it's all a misunderstanding like she should have, she remained still and only thought about how good his hands felt.

She dared to look at him, and their eyes met.

It was the last straw for Rita's already collapsing haystack of reason.

Slowly, she approached him, wondering when he's going to draw the line and stop her.

He never did.


	5. Relief

She had read stories where the protagonist finds themselves in an unbelievable situation and says out loud, 'I can't believe this is actually happening.' She thought that line was quite cliched.

She couldn't believe this is actually happening.

Any time now, the Princess would check up on her and see them snuggled in her bed. They hadn't actually done anything and their clothes were still on, but there's still a lot of room for misunderstanding. Would she be mad? Probably not. Upset? Nah. Knowing Estelle, she'd probably assume they were innocent and in this case she'd be right. Partly. That kiss last night didn't feel innocent at all. Never mind the touching that actually followed.

She tightened her hug on Yuri, and made a resolution. She will not deny she loves him. More than anything she didn't want to hide it from Estelle. That would be...dirty, somehow. But she's not very eager about letting her know, either. What was she supposed to do, say hi and tell her "By the way, I'm in love with Yuri?" Not gonna happen. The best-case scenario now is for Estelle to ask her about it, at which point she can finally admit her feelings for him. And break her heart.

She felt a heavy tug. She had been exploring her emotions more often since that day two years ago, and thus she quickly realized that this weight inside her is guilt.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Estelle was supposed to go on adventures with Brave Vesperia while Yuri protected her. They were supposed to live together happily ever after. That's what heroes are supposed to do after they save the world. But this dumbass just had to go and leave Estelle in the castle, didn't he?

Well, when you think about it, Flynn was also a hero, and he did help them save the world. So that makes him entitled to his own happy ending.

This is alright, isn't it? Estelle has Flynn, so even if she takes Yuri away from her, she'll be fine. She'll be fine.

I'm sorry.

And a sudden sorrow beseiged her with such force that she felt the tears squeezed out of her.

At that moment she felt Yuri's hands tighten around her, as if saying everything is going to be alright. That touch communicated clearly just how much grief there is between them, and at that moment they felt their sorrows with one shared heart. Without any words exchanged, each knew that the other understood the significance of this embrace.

No turning back, no regrets. I love you. I'm sorry, Estelle.

Briefly, Rita wondered if she had just heard Yuri's thoughts.

...

...

...

Estelle opened the door silently because she had suspected it.

She closed the door silently as well, because her suspicions proved true.

She didn't smile for them, even though she thought she should. Neither was she happy for them. Instead she felt a kind of sad relief, because a very difficult choice had been made for her, and now she wouldn't have to hurt anyone with her own words.

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><p><strong>The End. <strong>I think. I feel evil.

Right, thanks for reading to the end! I'd love to hear which parts you liked and which parts you hated, so please review!

This one is short as always because I'm such a lazy writer and I couldn't come up with anymore ideas to extend their suffering -_-. I don't want to make it too dramatic or angsty so I shan't delve deeper into the messy Estelle x Yuri x Flynn angle... because it takes a great writer to pull _that_ off and I'm not so confident to try it at the moment. Consider it a cop-out if you will, hehe.

And make sure you read all the other better-written Ritas out there! The lovely lass deserves all your attention-

_Boom._

**Rita**: Gah, shut up already.


	6. Compassion

It was the most awkward silence in her entire life.

Well, to be accurate, the spectators downstairs were quite loud; but Estelle's presence beside her was even louder. She knew it didn't make sense, but that's how she felt. She was constantly aware of her being there, standing still at a distance a bit too far apart for friends but slightly too close together for strangers. She looked neither happy nor sad, and not knowing how she felt about this whole affair somehow made it worse. Deep down, Rita knew Estelle was nowhere near pleased. Most girls would be thrilled about having two handsome men fighting over her; but she wasn't most girls. She was Estellise Sidos Heurassein, princess to the kingdom. She was the kindest, strongest woman she ever had the honor of calling 'friend'.

She would never be happy about _this._

"Bloody idiots, the lot of them," Rita grumbled to herself.

"Don't you think so?" Estelle replied. Rita didn't expect the reply, and neither did she expect it to be so gentle. When she turned to look she found that Estelle is smiling at her, albeit not in happiness.

"Well, we should have expected no less from the glorious Mister Lowell," Rita said, relieved to finally make conversation.

"It was Flynn who challenged," Estelle said.

Rita blinked. "Huh."

And the duel began.

Steel clashed and the crowd goes wild. Yuri was quite popular in the lower quarter, and Flynn and Estelle were popular by default. The fact that the freelancer swordsman and the commandant had been old friends and equally skilled drew in the men. The rumor that they were somehow involved in a love triangle drew in the women. It all fit together to well to not be true; the righteous knight was defending the princess's honor from this charming scoundrel, who also happened to be his childhood friend. It was a story that would be recorded in Zaphias legend. And so it was that nearly everyone in the lower quarters and all the quarters near it came to watch the fight, thus necessitating the princess and the mage to be at the balcony of a nearby inn.

"Sometimes I really have no idea what goes on in their minds," Estelle said above the din. "Fighting your best friend, promising to stay together and then leaving without saying anything..."

Rita had nothing to add to that.

"We made a promise," Estelle said with downcast eyes. Then she smiled with such sorrow that Rita felt it as well. "But I guess I was just too childish."

Rita couldn't say anything to that, because she agreed.

"Does he think I'm a bother?" Estelle asked, and to her horror Rita realized that the question was genuine.

"Of course not. He still loves you," she said, feeling the terrible weight of her words. "But I think he wants you to let him go."

"But why?" Estelle's voice was laced with pain, and it similarly hurt Rita to hear it and answer:

"Because he wanted you to be happy."

"And how would leaving me make me happy?"

"I don't really know. But I think he's afraid," Rita said, fully aware that from here onwards it would be pure speculation on her part.

"Of what?"

"Of dragging you down."

"...I don't understand."

"He's afraid of dragging you into his darkness," Rita said. "You might not realize it, but Yuri's been hiding a lot of things from you." Things he, for some reason, told me instead. Things like murder and worse.

"I _know_ he's been hiding things from me. I'm not stupid," Estelle snapped.

Rita froze.

"But he decided to trust you instead of me," she continued. "Why is that?"

"I-"

"Is it because I'm too clean for him? Or is it because you're already black, so he can't stain you with his darkness?"

Rita didn't, couldn't answer, partly from the shock of hearing Estelle's angry voice and partly from the thought that she might be correct.

Down below, the swords continued to sing their angry song. Their breath taken by the razor-thin dodges and the absurdly fast attacks made by the combatants, the crowd is silenced. That silence stretched into infinity, aggravating the tension in the air. The things that remain unsaid hung between Rita and Estelle and threatened to suffocate the mage. She was surprised, outraged, disappointed, sad, and above all clueless.

What now, genius?

"I'm sorry."

Although she should have expected it, Estelle's apology still caught her off-guard. That's the princess alright, always throwing away her pride to save friends - or in this case - their friendship.

"I don't know what's come over me recently." Estelle's voice cracked. She closed her eyes. Then she began crying and immediately tried to wipe away the tears, but it was a futile effort for there were too much of them.

Rita tentatively touched her shoulder. She knew she probably she didn't have the right, but she couldn't care less. Every fiber of her being screamed: reach out for her.

"Don't," Estelle slapped her hand away, but that just hardened Rita's resolve. She pulled Estelle into a fierce hug.

"I said don't," Estelle whimpered. She resisted Rita's hold and nearly broke free; but just once, just this once, Rita did not allow herself to lose in a contest of strength.

Finally the princess stopped. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Rita."

"Estelle-"

"I'm pathetic, aren't I?"

"No! Don't you even think-"

"I'm supposed to be happy for you, you're my friend, I never meant all the mean things I said to you, I know you love him, but I can't. I keep wishing Yuri's with me even though I know it's selfish. I know he wants to be free but I want to keep him with me. I'm horrible." Estelle said, with great difficulty. Her crying made the words incoherent and she had to stop every few words to let out a heavy sob. Her voice was broken; it did not have any of the determination and strength of the Estelle she knew. This Estelle is ugly, selfish, jealous, irrational and pitiful.

"I can't let him go, Rita," she sobbed. "Even though I have Flynn and he's so nice and kind, and he's here with me, and I'm also falling for him, I still can't. I'm horrible. What's wrong with me?"

Amongst her compassion for the princess, Rita felt an odd confusion. The images did not match. Estelle had always been a saint. Flawless. Brave. Strong, yet kind. Never like this. Whatever this is. It then struck Rita that she had never seen Estelle being so..so...

Ah, so that's it.

Down below, the duel ended with Flynn's victory. When the young commandant looked at what had distracted Yuri at such a critical moment, he immediately dropped his sword and rushed towards the building that housed the balcony.

Estelle was crying all-out now, and yet the mage felt reassured. It was as if a great secret had revealed itself to her, a formula that made sense of her entire world. Armed with this secret, she stood there sturdy as as a rock, soaking all the sorrow Estelle had contained within herself all this time. Clumsily, she whispered comforting words and rubbed her back, trying to remember the tenderness she had shown her during their adventures an eternity ago. She had absolutely zero experience in easing the sorrows of others; she had no idea of what to say in these kinds of situations; so she settled in saying the one thing she was absolutely certain of.

"It's okay," Rita said, hearing Flynn's footsteps approach. Soon she will have to hand her over to him, and then Estelle will have to realize it herself as she heals her heart. But Rita wanted her to hear it now.

"It's okay to be human, Estelle."

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><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> Fic dis-discontinued due to RandomWriterPerson calling me out on being a lazy bum. Yes, that's a real name. Also, thank you for that.

In this chapter I left Flynn and Yuri out because this fic is about Rita (mostly) and these two are an entirely different beast. Maybe I'll do a side story about this duel sometime (yeah right). Please leave comments for this chapter. Like it? Hate it? Too out-of-character? Review and vent!

Next chapter is _probably_ going to be the end. I hope.


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